The African American Experience
and Issues of Race and Racism
in U.S. Schools

Websites
Status and Trends in the Education of Blacks -- an Oct. 2003 report by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The Economic Mobility of Black and White Families -- a 2007 report by the Pew Charitable Trust Foundation comparing the economic progress of Black and White families -- the data show that the gap is widening.

African American Achievement in America -- a brief and valuable 2003 report by the Education Trust Foundation -- includes data about and discussion of the education/achievement gap and about schools and programs that are overcoming it.

The Mis-Education of the Negro -- this is an online copy of Carter G. Woodson's still vital 1933 book, The Mis-Education of the Negro, with an excellent Introduction, "History Is a Weapon," by Charles Wesley and Thelma Perry, who write: "The most imperative and crucial element in Woodson's concept of mis-education hinged on the education system's failure to present authentic Negro History in schools and the bitter knowledge that there was a scarcity of literature available for such a purpose, because most history books gave little or no space to the black man's presence in America. Some of them contained casual references to Negroes but these generally depicted them in menial, subordinate roles, more or less sub-human. Such books stressed their good fortune at having been exposed, through slavery, to the higher (white man's) civilization. There were included derogatory statements relating to the primitive, heathenish quality of the African background, but nothing denoting skills, abilities, contributions or potential in the image of the Blacks, in Africa or America. Woodson considered this state of affairs deplorable, an American tragedy, dooming the Negro to a brain-washed acceptance of the inferior role assigned to him by the dominant race, and absorbed by him through his schooling."

A Girl Like Me -- an excellent short film by Kiri Davis about issues of racial stereotyping, identity, and appearance, especially as these relate to the experience of African American girls and young women -- includes footage of a recent implementation of an experiment in which African American children are asked to choose between and show their preference for either a Black or a white doll (YouTube).

Closing the Racial Achievement Gap: The Best Strategies of the Schools We Send Them To -- a good article byHarvard Professor, Dr. Pedro Noguera.

The Trouble with Black Boys: The Role and Influence of Environmental and Cultural Factors on the Academic Performance of African American Males -- a very good article by Harvard scholar Pedro Noguera -- valuable for all who are interested in addressing the education/achievement gap

The Racial Wealth Divide Project -- research and publications documenting ways in which government policies have contributed to racial inequalities.

Barack Obama's Speech on Race -- as a candidate President Obama delivered this speech on issues of race in America -- read the transcript and listen to it here, or, go to this link to see and hear the speech.

Historic Reversals, Accelerating Resegregation, and the Need for New Integration Strategies -- an important 2007 report about the increasing segregation and inequality of U.S. schools -- by Gary Orfield and Chungmei Lee of the Civil Rights Project, at UCLA

A Multiracial Society with Segregated Schools: Are We Losing the Dream? -- a 2003 report by the UCLA Civil Rights Project about the current and ongoing resegregation of schools in the U.S.

Race in American Public Schools: Rapidly Resgregating School Districts -- a 2002 study by the UCLA Civil Rights Project about the current and ongoing resegregation of schools
in the U.S.

The Little Rock Nine: 50 Years Later -- seven of the nine African American students who first integrated Central High School in Little Roc, AK, speak about their experiences in this media presentation of interview clips and photographs -- listen and make the connections to current events.

How Desegregation Changed Us: The Effects of Racially Mixed Schools on Students and Society -- the final report of the "Understanding Race and Education Study," completed in 2004. The central finding is that desegregation "fundamentally changed the people who lived through it." "Desegregation made the vast majority of students who attended these schools less racially prejudiced and more comfortable around people of different backgrounds. "Yet it had a more limited impact on the larger society."

African American Educator from Jena, LA Speaks Out -- a video interview with a former Principal and Assistant Superintendent in Jena, Louisiana, who is African American -- he was principal of an all-black high school in Jena before desgregation -- he speaks out here about past and present segregation and racism in schools -- you may either watch on video or just listen to the radio broadcast -- very informative!

Applied Research Center -- an organization working to "advance racial justice through research, advocacy and journalism."

Making the Grade: A Racial Justice Report Card -- a study by ERASE (now the Applied Research Center) including information about how to collect data for assessing your own school district.

Facing the Consequences: An Examination of Racial Discrimination in U.S. Schools -- a valuable research report from March 2000 -- includes information about tracking, teachers/teaching, disciplinary policies, graduation rates, and more.

ERASE Racism -- an organization that "develops and promotes policies and initiatives to end the perpetuation of institutional racism in arenas such as public school education, housing, health care, and economic development."

Noose Watch -- a recent web documentation, by DiversityIinc, about the number, nature, and geographic locations across the country of racist incidents involving a noose.

The Noose: An American Nightmare -- a CNN special about the recent increase in racist noose incidents in schools and across the U.S. -- learn about the special at this site, as well as view related television news stories.

Racism in America's Schools -- this is an article for teachers on how to educate against racism. Its bibliography has a lot of anti-racism resources.

The Sounds of Silence: Talking Race in Music Education -- a 2007 article about the importance of creating an approach to music education that's anti-racist in its goals and practices.

Breaking Down Barriers -- a report on a high school program in Michigan that successfully brought students together across racial and other social and cultural divisions.

Race Bridges -- an organization that offers free lesson plans to promote interracial understanding.

National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) -- an organization "dedicated to improving the educational experiences and accomplishments of African American youth through the development and use of instructional and motivational methods that increase levels of inspiration, attendance and overall achievement".

Engaging African American Males in Reading -- a great article by Alfred Tatum, with many useful insights and great teaching ideas and examples -- published in Educational Leadership in 2006, and available here online.

Classroom Cultural Ecology: The Dynamics of Classroom Life in Schools Serving Low-Income African American Children -- a 2000 research report that details the characteristics and practices of effective teachers working with low-income African American children -- lots of valuable insight and information.

Race and the Schooling of Black Americans -- an insightful article, from 1992, by Stanford Professor, Claude Steele.

"Stereotype Threat" and Black College Students -- another valuable article by Stanford Professor, Claude Steele, from 1999 -- explains the concept of stereotype threat and related research -- very useful to educators and teachers.

America's Next Achievement Test: Closing the Black-White Test Score Gap -- a good recent article about this important issue.

Black Students Are Not Culturally Biased Against Academic Achievement -- this study about African American students' attitudes toward school and academic achievement shows that where an anti-achievement attitude develops, it is "over time and is most likely to occur in schools where blacks are grossly underrepresented in the most challenging courses" -- i.e., oppositional attitudes are "not learned in the black community, as some have suggested, but are instead constructed in schools under certain conditions, the product of life and experience in school, not the home culture."

Unfinished Business: The Persistence of Racial Inequality in the Nation's Classrooms -- a presentation and discussion of recent research documenting continuing forms of racial inequality in our schools.

Racial Bias in Testing -- an essay by Christopher Jencks about this troubling and important issue.

Race and Education -- a site with good programs and links with a particular focus on continued segregation in U.S. schools.

Supreme Court and School Diversity -- a radio program about two 2006 Supreme Court cases that call into question the efforts of many school districts to integrate their schools -- includes tape of the Supreme Court hearings on Dec. 4, 2006.

Bending Toward Justice: The Unfinished Legacy of Brown v. Board of Education -- an excellent collection of articles about what the Brown case attempted to achieve and the extensive and complex work that remains.

The Ruling That Changed America -- a good overview article about Brown v. Board of Education, history of reaction to the decision, and where we are now with regard to its goals.

Brown v. Board of Education: Classroom Activities and Resources -- lesson plans and curricular guides for teaching about this important Supreme Court Case.

Brown v. Board of Education: An American Legacy -- a set of articles in Teaching Tolerance Magazine about this important Supreme Court case and related issues today -- includes good classroom instructional materials.

The Supreme Struggle -- a series of articles in the New York Times about the Brown v. Board of Education case and where we are now on the issues the case addressed.

Brown at 50: The Promise Unfulfilled -- a special 5-part series that takes stock of the impact of the Brown v. Board of Education case -- raises important questions about current issues of race in education.

Teaching Brown: In America's Classrooms Discussions about Race Remain Timely and Relevant -- an article about how some teachers teach about the Brown decision and issues of race and racism.

America's Next Achievement Test: Closing the Black-White Test Score Gap -- a good recent article about this important issue.

The Teaching Diverse Students Initiative -- a program designed to help educators address the education gap" by providing research-based resources for improving the teaching of racially and ethnically diverse students." Includes a set of online tools that can be adapted for use in schools and classrooms.

Uri Treisman's Merit Workshop Model -- an article about the important work and ideas of Uri Treisman, who has demonstrated how to improve teaching effectiveness when working with African American students who are not doing well in school -- he replaces remedial approaches with an honors program approach that encourages students to collaborate on challenging problems in an environment of high expectations.

Closing the Reading Achievement Gap for African American Males -- an article about the work of Alfred Tatum, who in 2006 published a book, Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap.

The Algebra Project -- an exceptional math education program, now nationally recognized, created by Civil Rights activist and Harvard Ph.D., Bob Moses -- a creative and culturally responsive approach to teaching African American and other youth algebra -- algebra is a major gatekeeping course that often determines whether youth are placed on the college prep path -- the program works, and the website includes lesson ideas and other useful information.

Prep for Prep -- a successful program that demonstrates the fundamental power and value of high expectations and real opportunity in education.

AVID -- a program that "places academically average students in advanced classes and supports them for success there" -- it has been very successful as measured by college admission rates of program participants, most of whom are students from groups with a history of high dropout rates and underperformance in school.

National Center for Accelerated Schools -- an approach to school reform based on the idea of providing students of limited resources with accelerated, rather than remedial, instruction -- accelerated schools use ideas from gifted and talented education to improve the education of students of limited resources, and it works!

Comer School Development Program -- started by Yale professor of child psychiatry, Dr. James Comer, this nationally recognized program helps schools develop strong bonds with parents and community that translate into significant academic performance gains -- Dr. Comer started with one school in a poor neighborhood in New Haven, CT and has built a national model for school reform that works.

Schools that Develop Children -- an excellent essay by Dr. James Comer about the value of a systemic and developmental approach to school reform -- the ideas presented here are the foundation of the Comer School Development Program, the success of which has demonstrated the value of these ideas.

Minority Student Achievement Network -- a "national coalition of 21 multiracial, urban-suburban school districts across the United States" that works "to discover, develop and implement the means to ensure high academic achievement for students of color, specifically African American and Latino students."

Success for All Foundation -- a "comprehensive and effective school-restructuring program for the education of our children in reading, writing, mathematics, and the social sciences" -- the program has substantial evidence of success.

Minority Students in Special and Gifted Education -- a 2002 book, available online, that presents research by the National Academy of Sciences documenting the disproportionately high number of minority students in special education and the disproportionately low number of minority students in gifted programs.

Racial Inequity in Special Education -- a site with information about and selections from a new book about this issue by Gary Orfield and Daniel Losen.

A Ghetto Within a Ghetto -- an article about the research of Gary Orfield and Daniel Losen documenting that African American children, especially males, are overrepresented in special education programs.

Addressing Over-Representation of African American Students in Special Education -- a recent research report that presents data documenting this problem and things educators and community members can do to address it.

Ebonics Information Page -- good articles and links provided by the Center for Applied Linguistics.

Using Call-and-Response to Facilitate Language Mastery and Literacy Acquisition Among African American Students -- an article about teaching language and literacy through a call and response communication style.

Writings on the "Ebonics" Issue -- published writings and public presentations by John Rickford, a professor of linguistics at Stanford University.

Ebonics and Culturally Responsive Instruction: What Should Teachers Do? -- an excellent article by Lisa Delpit published in Rethinking Schools -- includes specific teaching ideas.

Embracing Ebonics and Teaching Standard English -- a helpful interview with Oakland teacher Carrie Street.

The Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children -- a number of chapters from the excellent book of this title, available online.

A Linguist Looks at the Ebonics Debate -- a thoughtful, well-reasoned discussion of this important issue.

Ebonics -- materials and online discussion of Ebonics at the site of the Linguistic Society of America.

The Ebonics Debate -- an article published by the Association of Black Psychologists.

Comments on Ebonics -- email messages collected during the "Ebonics" controversy in spring 1997 from internet discussion lists for linguists, especially the American Dialect Society list and a list for linguistic anthropologists -- most represent the informed opinions of linguists about the variety of English known to them as African American Vernacular English, or Black Vernacular English, and its place in the schools and society.

African American Vernacular English -- some good materials and links.

Nigger (the word), A Brief History -- a good background, historical article about the n-word.

The Meanings of a Word -- an excellent essay, by Gloria Naylor, that first appeared in the New York Times in 1986, about the n-word and the significance of context in understanding its meaning and impact.

The "N-word" and the Racial Dynamics of Teaching -- a discussion in the Harvard Education Letter about the prevalence of the n-word in schools, and about how teachers should respond -- of particular significance is that white teachers report being less comfortable and less likely to address it than either African American or Latino teachers.

Consigning the "N" Word to Personal History -- a 2006 radio essay by an African American young man (at the time of the piece a first year student at Howard University) who has decided not to use the n-word.

A Roundtable Radio Discussion of the N-Word -- from NPR's News and Notes program, 2006.

N.J. Communities Debate Use of the N-Word -- listen to a 2007 news radio segment about how a number of communities and city councils haver asked their citizens to voluntarily refrain from using the n-word.

Discussing Race through Cora Unashamed -- a discussion of how teachers can teach about race, racism, and the n-word, using Langston Hughes' short story, Cora Unashamed -- includes good specific ideas for teaching about the n-word as well as suggested readings.

Examining Language in Cora Unashamed -- another good presentation about how to engage students in a critically reflective analysis of langauge use in Langston Hughes' story, Cora Unashamed, including the n-word -- includes good additional readings and resources as well as assignments and teaching ideas for pre-reading preparation and post-reading reflection and analysis.

N****r and Caricatures -- a good presentation about the history of the n-word and its use as a racial slur and demeaning caricature of African Americans.

What's In a Name? Plenty, That's What -- a good essay about the "moral and ethical issues [the n-word] raises for all of us who want to be racially responsible, inclusive and well-intended in our use of language" -- includes discussion of Randall Kennedy's controversial book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word.

New Word Order -- an essay about use of the n-word in popular culture.

Race and Ethnicity in Contemporary Art and Literature -- an extensive list of curricular units designed by teachers in the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

African-American Art and the Political Dissent during the Harlem Renaissance -- a great curricular unit plan by a teacher in the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

Head Trip: A Teaching and Learning Discussion -- a self-reflective essay about one college professor's efforts to change what and how she teaches to be more truly multicultural and culturally responsive -- includes a good discussion of language issues that arise when doing this important work.

Racial Conflict in School and Community of Jena, Louisiana -- a radio story about the racial tension and incidents in Jena, Louisiana that have led to six African American youth being charged and incarcerated.

Blacks Strip Slaveholders' Names Off Schools -- a lesson plan based on a 1997 New York Times article about community members changing the name of a school in New Orleans, from George Washington Elementary to Dr. Charles Richard Drew Elementary -- includes the NYTimes article, letters written by Washington, and other materials.

A Book Examines Towns That Forced Out Blacks -- a radio interview with journalist and author Elliot Jaspin, who's book, Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America, presents history and analysis of 12 incidents in the U.S. of towns driving out blacks -- and the counties these towns are in remain almost entirely white.

African Americans and Formal Education in the American South -- valuable historical information.

Black Voices -- a good source of news and opinion.

Racial Bias in U.S. Dietary Guidelines, Part 1 -- a research-based discussion of guidelines that promote dairy consumption whan a majority of people of color are genetically lactose intolerant.

News and Notes -- an excellent national radio program, no longer being broadcast, that explored important events and issues "from an African American perspective." You may listen here to past shows and segments.

A Close Bond Sheds Light on Race Relations -- a radio segment about two young women, H.S. seniors and friends, one black and one white -- discussion of their friendship, similarities, and differences in experience.

Chickenbones -- a "journal for literary and artistic African-American themes" -- lots of interesting articles discussing history, racism, literature, and current events.

African Americans in Science -- an excellent site with extensive resources about African-Americans in science.

Mathematicians of the African Diaspora -- important information and teaching resources.

Using Children's Literature and Art to Examine the African-American Resistance to Injustice -- a curricular unit plan by a teacher in the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute.

African and African-American Resources -- good links for teaching provided by the Philadelphia School District.

African American Bibliography: Books for Children -- a well organized list of good books about African American experience, people, and characters.

Teaching African and African American History and Culture in the 21st Century: Lessons for Grades K-12 -- good lesson plans by educators in the Philadelphia School District.

Teaching African and African American History and Culture in the 21st Century: Lessons for Grades 5-8 -- more good lesson plans by educators in the Philadelphia School District.

Webster Groves Writing Project -- a successful multicultural approach to the teaching of writing -- this program has been written about in a number of books and articles about effective use of culture in designing and delivering instruction.

Voices from the Gaps -- a great website about "women writers of color" -- good bios and links.

Just Think -- an interesting media production program for youth that teaches critical media literacy and other important skills.

Race: The Power of an Illusion -- an online resource for an excellent documentary about race in society, science, and history -- includes background readings, a discussion/activities guide, and other good materials for teachers.

ColorLines -- an excellent magazine about issues of race, ethnicity, and racism.

Race in America: Beyond Black and White -- a series of interviews with experts, academics, politicians, and activists about the current state of race relations in America.

Racism and Nativism in American Political Culture -- a collection of curricular unit plans created by teachers in the Yale-New Haven Teachers Insititute.

African American World -- a Public Broadcasting site with good historical and other information and resources.

Education in Mississippi, 1954-1982 -- a good radio segment about failed attempts to desegregate schools in Mississippi.

African American History (The History Net) -- an excellent African American history site, with primary documents, photos, biographies, and much more -- lots of great links and resources.

The Souls of Black Folk -- W.E.B. Du Bois' classic and important book, published in 1903. Du Bois wrote in his introduction: "Herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here in the dawning of the Twentieth Century. This meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader; for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line."

African American History -- another good site with teaching resources.

Say Brother -- a long running public-affairs television program dedicated to the African American experience -- started in 1968, the program has featured conversations and discussions with Julian Bond, Nikki Giovanni, Eartha Kitt, and other leaders within the African-American community.

African American History List -- links to many of the best African American history sites and museums.

Digital Schomburg -- an online archive of manuscripts at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in NYC -- lots of good materials for classroom and other use.

A Gateway to African American History -- a very useufl web portal with lots of links.

African American Odyssey -- African American collections of the Library of Congress.

African American Women -- a collection of materials at Duke University, including letters and memoirs of 19th century slave women.

Bringing the Civil Rights Movement into the Classroom -- an article about how one teacher teaches the Civil Rights Movement as an important and valuable act of resistance in U.S. history.

Partners of the Heart -- a documentary that tells the little-known story of the collaboration between white surgeon, Alfred Blalock and his African American "assistant," Vivien Thomas. Blalock recognized Thomas' talents when Thomas came inquiring after a hospital janitor's job. Thomas went on to invent many important procedures for open heart surgery, despite the fact that he did not have a medical degree and was rarely treated as an equal. Blalock came to treat Thomas with tremendous respect in the lab, but the two men were rarely treated as equals in the outside world. Over time, Thomas would go on to train two generations of the country's premier heart surgeons. In 1976, more than three decades after Thomas' first inventions successes, Johns Hopkins University finally formally recognized his extraordinary achievements, awarding him an honorary doctorate.

Frontiers in Civil Rights: Dorothy E. Davis, et al. versus County School Board of Prince Edward County, Virginia -- this is an important 1951 court case that led to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case that finally brought down the "separate but equal" Jim Crow laws and apartheid of the U.S. -- this website provides good primary source documents and lesson plans for teaching about the Dorothy Davis case, in which a group of courageous Black students protested the inferior nature of their school.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) -- one of the nation's largest civil rights organizations -- its mission is to promote equality and eliminate prejudice among all people.

Civil Rights in Mississippi Digital Archive -- online resources, including oral histories and manuscripts about the state's civil rights struggle.

African American History through the Arts -- articles and art -- from traditional to contemporary.

African Odyssey -- links to indexes and curriculum-based resources for teaching about the arts and culture of Africa.

Lest We Forget -- a digital history project by the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, about the history of and struggle against slavery.

The Internet African American History Challenge -- questions, at different levels of difficulty, about African American history -- take the quizzes yourself and use them as teaching tools.

African American History Site -- another good site with historical information.

African American Historical Museum & Cultural Center of Iowa -- useful information and some good lesson plans and teaching ideas.

Hip Hop: Today's Civil Right's Movement? -- a good radio program about the political nature and power of Hip Hop.

Hip Hop 101: Curriculum Guide -- information about a curricular guide put together by an organzation called Art Sanctuary.

The Hip Hop Education Guidebook: Vol. 1 -- a site where you can order this book full of lesson plan ideas using hip hop.

Educators Use Rap as a Teaching Tool -- a radio broadcast about teachers who are using hip-hop effectively to make connections between contemporary music/poetry and the classics -- scroll to the bottom of the page, click and listen.

The Evolution of Rap Music in the United States -- a good article made available at the Yale-New Haven Teachers Institue website -- includes some lesson plan ideas, too.

Hip Hop Education -- an article about Martha Diaz and her efforts to combine hip hop and filmmaking to teach reading, writing, and more.

H2Ed -- the website of this innovative program and organization that "connects educators, social workers, parents, and youth to use Hip-Hop culture as an effective way to inform, educate, and activate youth" -- started by Marth Diaz and Tricia Wing -- soon they will have lesson plans and more at this website.

The History of Hip Hop -- a brief and useful overview article.

Hip Hop History 101 -- more good articles and links.

A Hip Hop Bibliography -- a good list of books and articles.

Underground Hip Hop: Conflict Honored, Jewels Kicked, and Hope Elevated -- an effective "literary" analysis of some hip-hop for use in the classroom.

Transcending Poetry, Jazz, Rap, and Hip Hop for the Classroom -- a lesson plan.

The Original Hip Hop Lyrics Archive -- a large archive of lyrics to many important hip hop songs.

Urban Think Tank -- a site for the "body of thinkers in the hip hop community" -- interesting articles and links.

Nuttin' But Stringz: Hip Hop Violin -- a radio segment about a pair of Julliard-trained, violin playing African American brothers who are making their own music.

The Hip Hop Violin and String Quartets of Haitian American Composer, Daniel Bernard Roumain -- a radio segment about Roumain and his hip hop compositions -- includes audio clips of his work, as performed by the Lark String Quartet.

Exploring African Hip Hop -- a radio review of CD's by two African hip hop groups whose music "embodies ways that Africans are debating their cultural identity through music."

Rokia Traore, Zap Mama and Erykah Badu -- an interview with Rokia Traore, an incredible singer from Mali -- the segment about polyphony is an excellent musical example of a deep African and African American cultural value.

National Public Radio's Website about Jazz -- includes historical material, audio clips, and more.

Intersections: August Wilson, Writing to the Blues -- a National Public Radio site and program about Pulitzer Prize winner August Wilson who has spent more than 20 years writing a cycle of plays that chronicle black life in 20th-century America, decade by decade. Wilson says he first discovered the language of the black experience in Bessie Smith's blues.

Let the Good Times Roll -- a radio program of excellent and insightful programs presenting a history of rhythm and blues -- many programs and lots of music and valuable information and perspective.

Claude Williams: Biography -- the life story of a great African American jazz/swing violinist and guitar player who received the National Endowment of the Arts Heritage Award.

A Jazz Profile of Claude Williams -- a radio program about Claude Williams, a great African American jazz/swing violinist and guitar player.

Jazz Party Video of Stuff Smith -- a YouTube video of Stuff Smith, one of the all-time great jazz violinists.

Black History and Classical Music -- a great website devoted to composers of African descent -- includes samples to listen to and lots of good links.

Classical Music Recordings of Black Composers -- lots of good information about African American composers.

Composers of African Descent -- more good information about composers of African descent.

Blackbaseball.com's Negro Baseball League -- history and memorabilia

Beyond the Playing Field - Jackie Robinson, Civil Rights Advocate -- Jackie Robinson not only broke the "color barrier" in major league baseball, but he was a life-long civil rights activist. This site provides some great primary source materials and lesson plans about this important aspect of Jackie Robinson's life and character.

Black History Month -- activities and information to complement classroom topics.

Black Facts Online -- an online searchable database of facts about Black history.

Kwanzaa Information Center -- good information and materials about this important annual and international celebration of people of African descent.

The Official Kwanzaa Website -- site by the founder of Kwanzaa.

Kwanzaa On the Net -- lots of good explanatory information and materials in support of the celebration of Kwanzaa.

Step Afrika -- a dance group that celebrates stepping, "an art form born at African American fraternities and based in Afriacn traditions."

The Official Website of Malcolm X -- good biographical material, quotes, and much more.

School Shootings and White Denial -- an internet article by Tim Wise, "School Shootings and White Denial" has generated valuable discussion of issues of race and racist stereotypes -- you will find his article and more at this site.

Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia -- an online museum of racist objects that are powerful primary sources in helping educate about the depth, extent, and nature of racism in the U.S.

From Hostility to Reverence: 100 Years of African-American Imagery in Games -- an article about the history of racist imagery in children's games.

Black Males and Images in the Media -- reflection on an art exhibit, "African-American Representation of Masculinity" -- working to move beyond stereotypes.

Representation of the Black Male in Film -- a good article about this important issue -- includes history and current analysis.

The Slave Side of Sunday -- an article about a book in which pro football is criticized for its racist treatment of players.

Antiracism before Celebration -- a useful article by the Center for the Study of White American Culture about the role whites can and must play in addressing racism.

The Anti-Racist Alliance -- an organization committed to bringing "anti-racist structural power analysis to social service education and practice." They "move beyond a focus on the symptoms of racism to an understanding of what racism is, where it comes from, how it functions, why it persists and how it can be undone."

Black Issues in Higher Education -- the nation's only magazine dedicated exclusively to minority issues in higher education. Articles are not strictly related to African American issues in education, but also cover issues faced by Native Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanic American, women, and people with disabilities.

Center for the Study of White American Culture -- the homepage for this organization that encourages whites to better understand their own cultures and their role in helping create a fair and just multicultural society.

Whiteness Studies: Deconstructing (the) Race -- a good article about whiteness studies as an "attempt to trace the economic and political history behind the invention of 'whiteness,' to attack the privileges given to so-called 'whites,' and to analyze the cultural practices (in art, music, literature, and popular media) that create and perpetuate notions of 'whiteness.'"

Teaching about Whiteness -- a set of ideas and activities for teaching about whiteness as a racial and cultural category -- especially useful when teaching about issues of race and racism.

African American Images in Picture Books -- a bibliography of children's books.

Sojourn's Afro Page Review -- a very rich collection of links on many topics, including the arts, parenting, the student experience, and much more -- highly recommended..

The Tangled Roots Project -- historical information about the shared roots of African Americans and Irish Americans.

The Identity Development of Multiracial Youth -- a 1998 digest about some important issues and considerations concerning the experiences of interracial youth.

The Schooling of Multiracial Youth -- a 1998 digest about what educators can and should do to address the needs of interracial youth in schools.

Seeing Black -- a "funky, alternative site for black reviews, opinions, and voice" -- good articles on a range of topics and some good links to other interesting sites.

Black Press USA -- an "independent source of news for the African American community" -- news items that come from a wire service made up exclusively of black journalists and press outlets -- also includes links to local black press websites.

Black Commentator -- an online publication that offers commentary and analysis on issues facing the black community -- smart commentary on important social and political issues.

The Black Stripe -- "news, information, and culture affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people of African descent."

Black Parenting Today -- a magazine whose mission is to "share information about issues of importance to parents and guardians of African American children, and those who agree that responsible parenting is key to strengthening the black community and securing our future."

The Michigan Citizen -- a newspaper published in Highland Park, MI that is written primarily for African Americans and covers a variety of topics including issues of education.

The Indianapolis Recorder -- a weekly newspaper that is "preparing a conscious community today and beyond" -- it started in 1897 and focused initially on local news -- it has since expanded and has been called an "advocate for and reporter of the Black community" by historian Richard Pierce.

Racism -- No Way: Recognizing Racism in Schools -- this is an Australian website with articles on racism.

Why the Confederate Flag is a RACIST Symbol -- this site argues for that the Confederate flag is a racist symbol and has no place in society.

Of White Robes and Midnight Fright: Why I'm Offended by the Confederate Flag -- a chilling personal account of why the Confederate flag offends and should not be accepted as a symbol of heritage.

Seeing Red Over Speech -- this site explores whether the term redneck is a racist word and creates ill will.

African American Health Issues -- a good website with links and resources.

Closing the Health Gap -- "an educational campaign designed to help make good health an important issue among racial and ethnic minority populations who are affected by serious diseases and health conditions at far greater rates than other Americans."

The "Colorblind" Attack on Your Health -- an online article from the magazine, Colorlines, about the racial disparities in healthcare and medical treatment and services.

Office of Minority and Multicultural Health -- a website by the New Jersey Dept. of Health with useful information about cultural competency in providing health services to diverse populations.

Some Good Books and Articles
Alim, H. 2007. Talkin Black Talk: Language, Education, and Social Change. Teachers College Press.

Alland, A. 2002. Race in Mind: Race, IQ, and Other Racisms. Palgrave/Macmillan.

Arboleda, T. 1998. In the Shadow of Race: Growing Up as a Multiethnic, Multiracial American. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Bell, D. 1992. Faces at the Bottom of the Well. Basic Books.

Bigelow, B. et al., (Ed.) 1994. Rethinking our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice. Rethinking Schools. Rethinking Schools.

Bigelow, B. et al., (Ed.) 2001. Rethinking Our Classrooms: Teaching for Equity and Justice, Volume 2. Rethinking Schools.

Bolgatz, J. 2005. Talking Race in the Classroom. Teachers College Press.

Bowen, W. anbd Bok, D. 1998. The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions. Princeton Univ. Press.

Boyd, H. & Allen, R. 1995. Brotherman: The Odyssey of Black Men in America -- An Anthology. Ballantine.

Boyd, T. 2003. The New H.N.I.C.: The Death of Civil Rights and the Reign of Hip Hop. New York Univ. Press.

Braithwaite, R. &Taylor, S. (Eds.) 2001. Health Issues in the Black Community. Jossey-Bass.

Brown, M., et al., 2003. Whitewashing Race: The Myth of a Color-Blind Society. University of California Press.

Byrd, A. and Tharps, L. 2001. Hair Story: Untangling the Roots of Black Hair in America. St. Martin Press.

Carbado, D. et al., 2002. Black Like Us: A Century of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual African American Fiction. Cleis Press.

Champion, T. 2003. Understanding Storytelling Among African American Children: A Journey from Africa to America. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Chideya, F. 1995. Don't Believe the Hype: Fighting Cultural Misinformation about African Americans. Plume/Penguin.

Chideya, F. 1999. The Color of Our Future: Race for the 21st Century. Quill.

Chuck D, and Jah, Y. 1997. Fight the Power: Rap, Race, and Reality. Delta Books.

Collier-Thomas, B. & Franklin, V. P. 2001. Sisters in the Struggle: African American Women in the Civil Rights - Black Power Movement. New York University Press.

Comer, J. & Poussaint, A. 1992. Raising Black Children. Plume/Penguin Books.

Conchas, G. 2006. The Color of Success: Race and High Achieving Urban Youth. Teachers College Press.

Cose, E. 1995. The Rage of a Privileged Class: Why Are Middle Class Blacks Angry? Harper.

Cose, E. 2002. The Envy of the World: On Being a Black Man in America. Washington Square Press.

Delpit, L. 1995. Other People's Children: Cultural Conflict in the Classroom. The New Press.

Delpit, L. & Dowdy, J. (Eds) 2002. The Skin that We Speak: Thoughts on Language and Culture in the Classroom. New Press.

Derman Sparks, L. 1997. Teaching/Learning Anti-Racism. Teachers College Press.

Dimitriades, G. 2001. Performing Identity/Performing Culture: Hip-Hop as Text, Pedagogy, and Lived Practice. Peter Lang Publishing.

Donaldson, K. 1996. Through Students' Eyes: Combating Racism in United States Schools. Praeger.

Du Bois, W.E.B. 1903. The Souls of Black Folk. A.C. McClurg.

Dyson, A. H. 2003. The Brothers and Sisters Learn to Write: Popular Literacies in Childhood and School Cultures. Teachers College Press.

Dyson, M. 1996. Between God and Gangsta Rap: Bearing Witness to Black Culture. Oxford.

Dyson, M. 1996. Race Rules: Navigating the Color Line. Vintage.

Evans-Winters, V. 2005. Teaching Black Girls: Resiliency in Urban Classrooms. Peter Lang.

Feagin, J, & McKinney, K. 2003. The Many Costs of Racism. Rowman& Littlefield.

Ford, D. 1996. Reversing Underachievement among Gifted Black Students: Promising Practices.

Fordham, S. & Ogbu, J. 1986. Black Students' School Success: Coping with the Burden of "Acting White." Urban Review, 18: 176-206.

Fordham, S. 1996. Blacked Out: Dilemmas of Race, Identity, and Success at Capital High. Chicago University Press.

Foster, M. 1997. Black Teachers on Teaching. The New Press.

Foster, M. & Peele, T. 1999. Teaching Black Males: Lessons from the Experts, in Polite, V. & Davis, J. (Eds.) African American Males in School and Society: Practices & Policies for Effective Education. Teachers College Press.

Fouche, R. 2005. Black Inventors in the Age of Segregation. Johns Hopkins University Press.

Fricke, J. & Ahearn, C. 2002. Yes Yes Y'all: Oral History of Hip-Hop's First Decade. Persues Press.

Garrod, A. et. al. 1999. Souls Looking Back: Life Stories of Growing Up Black. Routledge.

Gaskin, P. 1999. What Are You? Voices of Mixed Race Young People. Henry Holt.

Gay, G. 2000. Culturally Responsive Teaching. Teachers College Press.

Gentry, A. 1994. Learning to Survive: Black Youth Look for Education and Hope.

George, Nelson. 1998. Hip-Hop America. Viking.

Giddings, G. 2001. Infusions of Afrocentric Content into the School Curriculum. Toward an Effective Movement. Journal of Black Studies, 31: 462-482.

Ginwright, S. 2004. Black in School: Afrocentric Reform, Urban Youth, and the Promise of Hip-Hop Culture. Teachers College Press.

Ginwright, S. 2009. Black Youth Rising: Activism and Radical Healing in Urban America. Teachers College Press.

Gold, B. 2007. Still Separate and Unequal: Segregation and the Future of Urban School Reform. Teachers College Press.

Hacker, A. 1992. Two Nations: Black & White, Separate, Hostile, Unequal. Scribners

Hale, J. 1986. Black Children: Their Roots, Culture and Learning Styles. Johns Hopkins Univeristy Press.

Hale, J. 1994. Unbank the Fire: Visions for the Education of African American Children. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press

Hale, J. & Franklin, V. 2001. Learning While Black: Creating Educational Excellence for African American Children. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press.

Harris, J., Kamhi, A., & Pollack, K. (Eds.) 2001. Literacy in African American Communities. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Harry, B. and Klingner, J. 2006. Why Are So Many Minority Students in Special Education? Understanding Race and Disability in Schools. Teachers College Press.

hooks, b. 1992. Black Looks: Race and Representation. South End Press.

Hopkins, R. 1997. Educating Black Males: Critical Lessons in Schooling, Community and Power. SUNY Press.

Irvine, J. 2002. In Search of Wholeness: African American Teachers and Their Culturally Specific Classroom Practices. Palgrave.

Jaspin, E. 2007. Buried in the Bitter Waters: The Hidden History of Racial Cleansing in America. basic Books.

Jencks, C. & Phillips, M. (Eds.) 1998. The Black-White Test-Score Gap.The Brookings Institute.

Kailin, J. 1999. How White Teachers Perceive the Problem of Racism in Their Schools: A Case Study in "Liberal" Lakeview. Teachers College Record, 100(4): 724-50.

Kailin, J. 2002. Antiracist Education: From Theory to Practice. Rowman and Littlefield.

Keyes, C. 2002. Rap Music and Street Consciousness. Univ. of Illinois Press.

Khmelkov, V. & Hallinan, M. 1999. Organizational Effects on Race Relations in Schools. Journal of Social Issues, 55(4): 627-645.

Kitwana, B. 2002. The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture. Basic Books.

Krims, A. 2000. Rap Music and the Poetics of Identity. Cambrdige Univ. Press.

Kunjufu, J. 1997. Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys. African American Images.

Kunjufu, J. 1997. Critical Issues in Educating African American Youth (A Talk With Jawanza). African American Images.

Kunjufu, J. 1997. Developing Positive Self-Images and Discipline in Black Children. African American Images.

Kunjufu, J. 1997. Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success. African American Images.

Kunjufu, J. 2002. Black Students/Middle Class Teachers. African American Images.

Kunjufu, J. & Hawkins, L. 1997. Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success. African American Images.

Ladson-Billings, G. 1994. The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children. Jossey-Bass.

Ladson-Billings, G. 1998. From Soweto to the South Bronx: African Americans and colonial education in the United States. In C. Torres and T. Mitchell (Eds.) Sociology of Education: Emerging Perspectives. SUNY Press.

Ladson-Billings, G. 2001. Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms. Jossey-Bass.

Landsman, J. 2001. A White Teacher Talks About Race. Scarecrow Press.

Landsman, J. & Lewis, C. (Ed.) 2006. White Teachers/Diverse Classrooms. Stylus Press.

Lee, E. et al., 1998. Beyond Heroes and Holidays: A Practical Guide to K-12 Anti-Racist, Multiculutral Education. Network of Educators on the Americas.

Lewis, A. 2003. Race In the Schoolyard: Negotiating the Color Line in Classrooms and Communities. Rutgers Univ. Press.

Lipsitz, G. 1998. The Possessive Investment in Whiteness: How White People Profit from Identity Politics. Temple University Press.

Lomotey, K. 1990. Going to School, The African American Experience. SUNY Press.

Lopez, N. 2003. Hopeful Girls, Troubled Boys: Race and Gender Disparity in Urban Education. Routledge.

Losen, D. and Orfield, G. 2002. Racial Inequity and Special Education. Harvard Education Press.

Mahiri, J. 1998. Shooting for Excellence: African American and Youth Culture in New Century Schools. Teachers College Press.

Majors, R. (Ed.) 2001. Educating Our Black Children: New Directions and Radical Approaches. Routledge/Falmer.

Manning, K. 1985. Black Apollo of Science: The Life of Ernest Everett Just. Oxford Univ Press.

Marable, M. 2000. How Capitalism Underdeveloped Black America. South End Press.

McCall, N. 1994. Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America. Vintage.

Moody, V. 2004. Sociocultural Orientations and the Mathematical Success of African American Students. The Journal of Educational Research, 97(3): 135-147.

Morris, V. & Morris, C. 2000. Creating Caring and Nurturing Educational Environments for African American Children. Bergin and Garvey/Greenwood Publishing.

Morris, V. & Morris, C. 2002. The Price They Paid: Desegregation in an African American Community. Teachers College Press.

Moses, M. 2002. Embracing Race: Why We Need Race-Conscious Education Policy. Teachers College Press.

Moses, R. & Cobb, C. 2001. Radical Equations: Civil Right from Mississippi to the Algebra Project. Beacon Press.

Murrell, P. 2002. African-Centered Pedagogy: Developing Schools of Achievement for African American Children. State Univ of New York Press.

Noguera, P & Wing, J. (Eds.). 2006. Unfinished Business: Closing the Racial Achievement Gap in Our Schools. Jossey-Bass.

Noguera, P. 2009. The Trouble With Black Boys: And Other Reflections on Race, Equity, and the Future of Public Education. Jossey-Bass.

Obidah, J. & Teel, K. 2001. Because of the Kids: Facing Racial and Cultural Differences in Schools. Teachers College Press.

Ogbu, J. 1974. The Next Generation: An Ethnography of Education in an Urban Neighborhood. Academic Press.

Ogbu, J. 1982. Cultural Discontinuities and Schooling. Anthropology and Education Quarterly, 13(4): 290-307.

Ogbu, J. 1999. Beyond Language: Ebonics, Proper English, and Identity in a Black-American Speech Community. American Educational Research Journal, 36(2): 147-184.

Orfield, G., Eaton, S. & Jones, E. 1997. Dismantling Desegregation: The Quiet Reversal of Brown V. Board of Education. New Press.

Orfield, G. & Losen, D. (Eds.) 2002. Racial Inequity in Special Education. Harvard University Press.

Paley, V. 1989. White Teacher. Harvard University Press.

Paley, V. 1995. Kwanzaa and Me: A Teacher's Story. Harvard University Press.

Patillo-Coy, M. 1999. Black Picket Fences: Privilege and Peril Among the Black Middle Class. University of Chicago Press.

Perry, M. 2000. Walking the Color Line: The Art and Practice of Anti-Racist Teaching. Teachers College Press.

Perry, T. (Ed.) 1996. Teaching Malcolm X. Routledge.

Perry, T. & Delpit, L. 1998. The Real Ebonics Debate: Power, Language, and the Education of African-American Children. Beacon.

Perry, T., Steele, C., & Hilliard, A. 2003. Young, Gifted and Black: Promoting High Achievement among African-American Students. Beacon Press.

Pollock, M. 2004. Colormute: Race Talk Dilemmas in an American School. Princeton University Press.

Pollock, M. (Ed.) 2008. Everyday Anti-Racism: Getting Real About Racein School. The New Press.

Polite, V. & Davis, J. (Eds.) 1999. African American Males in School and Society: Pracitces & Policies for Effective Education. Teachers College Press.

Rose, T. 1994. Black Noise: Rap Music and Black Culture in Contemporary America. Wesleyan University Press.

Russell, M. 2005. Untapped Talent and Unlimited Potential: African American Students and the Science Pipeline. Negro Educational Review, 56(2/3).

Rowley, S., et al., 1998. The Relationship between Racial Identity and Self-Esteem in African American College and High School Students. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(3): 715-724.

Shipler, D. 1997. A Country of Strangers: Black and White in America. Vintage.

Smitherman, G. 1991. Talking and Testifyin: Black English and the Black Experience. In Reginald Jones (Ed.) Black Psychology. Cobb & Henry.

Steinhorn, L.& Diggs-Brown, B. 2000. By the Color of Our Skin: The Illusion of Integration and the Reality of Race.

Street, P. 2005. Segregated Schools: Educational Apartheid in Post-Civil Rights America. Routledge.

Suskind, R. 1998. A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League. Broadway.

Tatum, A. 2005. Teaching Reading to Black Adolescent Males: Closing the Achievement Gap. Stenhouse Publishers.

Tatum, B. 1998. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race. Basic Books.

Teel, K. & Obidah, J. 2008. Building Racial and Cultural Competence in the Classroom: Strategies from Urban Educators. Teachers College Press.

Van Ausdale, D. 2001. The First R: How Children Learn Race and Racism. Rowman & Littlefield.

Washington, H. 2007. Medical Apartheid: The Dark History of Medical Experimentation on Black Americans from Colonial Times to the Present. Doubleday.

Watkins, C. 2005. Hip Hop Matters: Politics, Pop Culture, and the Struggle for the Soul of a Movement. Beacon Press.

Watkins, W., Lewis, J. & Chou V. Eds.) 2001. Race and Education: The Roles of History and Society in Educating African American Students. Allyn & Bacon.

Welch, O. 1997. Standing Outside on the Inside: Black Adolescents & the Construction of Academic Identity. SUNY Press.

Wells, A. et al. 2004. How Desegregation Changed Us: The Effects of Racially Mixed Schools on Students and Society. Final Report from the Understanding Race and Education Study. Teachers College: Columbia University.

West, C. 2001. Race Matters. Vintage.

Williams, G. 1995. Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He was Black. Plume/Penguin.

Willie, S. 2003. Acting Black: College, Identity, and the Performance of Race. Routledge.

Wise, T. 2005. White Like Me: Reflections on Race from a Privileged Son. Soft Skull Press.

Wynne, K. 2000. "This Ain't No B-Boy: Women in Hip-Hop. Clamor, April May, p. 33-37.

Some Good Films/Videos
Eyes on the Prize, 1987 -- a powerful, award-winning series of documentary films about the Civil Rights struggle, 1954-1965.

Ethnic Notions, 1987 -- traces deeply rooted stereotypes.

Color Adjustment, 1991 -- a history of race relations in the U.S. as revealed in prime time television.

The Color of Fear, 1994 -- a very powerful documentary about a diverse group of American men discussing racism.

Matters of Race, 2000 -- a four part video series that explores the history, legacy, present, and future of issues of race and racism in the U.S.

Two Towns of Jasper -- a powerful film about black and white perspectives in Jasper, Texas, where, in 1998, an African American man, James Byrd, was dragged to death behind a truck by three white men. A white film crew covered the trials as it was seen by whites, and a black crew explored the perceptions of African-Americans. The result is an explicit and troubling portrait of race in America.

The Intolerable Burden, 2003 -- "One of the best video histories of the desegregation era ever produced." -- a film about a Black family that in 1965 enrolled eight of their children in a previously all white school in Drew, Mississippi.

The House We Live In, 2003 -- an excellent 3-part series exploring the history of race perceptions and relations in the U.S. -- documents ways in which institutions create and reinforce race and racism.

Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes -- a documentary that explores the hyper-masculinity, sexism, and homophobia of much commercial hip hop, putting this issue in a larger context and raising important questions about the corporate structures and practices that foster and promote this approach to hip-hop.